Thanksgiving and another Volcano

Thanksgiving just isn't the same in Guatemala. First off, they don't celebrate it. Second, it's not really with my family. And third, for the first time in my life I spent Thanksgiving in school! Lame.

No, in all actuality I had a decent Thanksgiving dinner with about 100 other Americans. It was a fine replacement, but it's nothing like mom's Thanksgiving cookin'. I caught a couple of the football games which was nice, but it lacked the male bonding coming through the annual soccer and basketball games. To make up for it, I climbed a volcano.


Standing about 12,500 ft in the background of Antigua, it is quite spectacular and had been calling my name to come climb it ever since I laid eyes on it. So I did.

Our guide picked us up at 6 in the morning to make our way to the trail head. He was short, but he was fast. Really fast. He grew up at the base of the mountain and he had climbed it at least a thousand times! The hike was hard especially when the elevation started to take our oxygen away, and our guides fast pace made it even harder. I was a bit surprised to find out that he's been up all night bar tending, yet he had more energy than all of us. That is, until his hangover kicked in. Somewhere in the elevation he started puking. Lame! So we left him and continued up ourselves. From the summit I looked around to the surrounding volcanos. And then, boom. Picaye blew! What sight. It didn't completely erupt but a burp was enough. I laid down in the sun looking at Volcan de Fuego. This thing is like Old Faithful. It blows about every half hour. And just after it let out a little puff, I faded into a wonderful nap.

It was fun to conquer the mountain, but I'll be sore for a few days I'm sure.